What % of their district are new voters
Gov. Youngkin meets with the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen
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Gov. Youngkin meets with the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen
Gov. Glenn Youngkin met with President Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan on Monday. Youngkin signed an executive order establishing Virginia’s first office for economic development in Taipei.
“As a premier partner in the Commonwealth’s economic and business ecosystem, I was thrilled to meet with President Tsai to strengthen Virginia’s decades-old partnership with Taiwan,” Youngkin said in a statement released by his office. “As a former business leader, I appreciate the commitment to excellence that Taiwan demonstrates across sectors. They are an important training partner and model of prosperity for nations across the globe.”
According to Youngkin’s office, Virginia exported $730M in products and imported $1B in goods from Taiwan in 2022.
“Had a pleasant & productive meeting with [Gov. Youngkin] & his delegation,” said Tsai Ing-wen. “We thank Virginia for its support for Taiwan, & we welcome the establishment of a Virginia-Taiwan trade office to further deepen our ties in economy & trade.”
Youngkin’s Taipei schedule
10:00AM TAIPEI TIME/ 10:00PM EDT: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN MEETS WITH TAIWAN PRESIDENT TSAI ING-WEN
LOCATION: Taipei
12:00PM TAIPEI TIME/ 12:00AM EDT: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN ATTENDS TAIWAN EXTERNAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL LUNCHEON
2:00PM TAIPEI TIME/ 2:00AM EDT: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN MEETS WITH TAIWAN MINISTER OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS MEI-HUA WANG
VA’s Democrats and Planned Parenthood Comments on Supreme Court’s Mifepristone Ruling
The Supreme Court of the United States accepted the Department of Justice and Danco’s applications for relief in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al. v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al. and issued a stay allowing mifepristone’s FDA approval to remain unchanged. Mifepristone will remain accessible and on the market while the Fifth Circuit hears arguments on The Department of Justice and pharmaceutical manufacturer Danco’s appeal as well as any appeal to the Supreme Court.
Statement from Paulette McElwain, President and CEO of The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood:
“Medication abortion remains a safe, effective way to end a pregnancy and The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood remains committed to ensuring patients can choose the method of abortion that is best for their needs and circumstances. Patients should have the right to control their bodies and to receive supportive, accessible and safe care without judgment. Today’s decision pauses weeks of confusion and fear based on political motivations, not on patient health and safety. VLPP providers continue to adapt to the myriad attacks on abortion access nationwide and we will never stop providing patients with the best information and care we can, no matter what.”
The Virginia House Democratic Caucus also released statements about this ruling:
“I applaud the Supreme Court for protecting access to this essential medicine, but our work is not done,” said Caucus Chair Charniele Herring. “In 2020, I championed legislation that repealed harmful abortion restrictions imposed by the Republicans in our state. I have fought my entire career in the Virginia General Assembly to protect a woman’s right to choose and I will not stop until reproductive healthcare is protected by our state’s constitution.”
“MAGA extremists think that a woman should have to check in with them before making decisions over her own body,” Caucus Leader Don Scott said. “While the Supreme Court made the right decision today, we know extremists in the VA GOP still stand poised and ready to take away women’s rights. We must do everything we can to protect reproductive freedoms from extremists, especially as Virginia is shaping up to be the last safe haven for women in the South.”
What % of their district are new voters
A new graphic from VPAP shows the percentage of new voters that elected officials are trying to convince to support them after redistricting:
Senate Incumbents:
Sen. George Barker (D) is running for reelection in a district that is 93% new voters compared to his former district.
Barker was drastically outraised by his Democratic primary challenger, Stella PeKarsky during the first quarter of this year.
Sen. Dave Marsden (D) is running for reelection in a district that is 71% new voters compared to his former district.
Marsden was drastically outraised by his Democratic primary challenger, Heidi Draushak.
Sen. Bryce Reeves (R) is running for reelection in a district that is 64% new votes.
Reeves is being challenged for the nomination by Mike Allers.
Sen. Louise Lucas (D) is running for reelection in a district that is 63% new voters compared to her previous district.
Sen. Lionell Spruill (D) is also running for reelection in this district. 57% of the voters are new to Spruill compared to his previous district.
Sen. Joe Morrissey (D) is running for reelection in a district that is 61% new voters compared to his previous district.
Lashresce Aird is challenging Morrissey for the Democratic nomination. She drastically outraised Morrissey during the first quarter of the year.
Sen. Jeremy McPike (D) is running for reelection in a district that is 59% new voters compared to his previous district.
Elizabeth Guzman is challenging him for the nomination.
Ex-DeSantis donor cuts big check for Youngkin - Politico
Days after withholding his financial backing for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, billionaire GOP donor Thomas Peterffy is opening his wallet for Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia governor some in the party still hope will run for president.
Peterffy on Thursday wired a $1 million check to Youngkin’s political action committee, Spirit of Virginia, according to a person familiar with the transaction. The move comes less than a week after Peterffy told the Financial Times that he had put his support for DeSantis “on hold” because of the governor’s controversial positions on abortion and book bans, which have alienated some of those in the donor community and the mainstream wing of the party.
Spruill says the governor promises more transparency in restoration of voting rights - WAVY
by: Regina Mobley
Friday, State Sen. Lionell Spruill, following his second meeting with the governor, told 10 On Your Side the governor has agreed to speed up the new application process.
“The governor made the commitment to expedite the process and make it more transparent,” said Spruill, who added the governor has promised to update the software system the state uses to process restoration applications.
Youngkin to GOP activists: Make 2023 a big-tent campaign - RTD
by Dave Ress
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, rallying the party activists who will spearhead his bid to flip the state Senate and hold the Republican majority in the House of Delegates, called on them to reach out to voters they might have thought would never vote Republican.
In a speech Friday to the annual Republican Advance, gathered this year at the Richmond Marriott, he brushed aside the conventional wisdom of political scientists that candidates win elections by firing up a party’s base.
“This is a big tent; let’s go fill it,” he said.
In open House seat, GOP candidates focus on abortion, election integrity - Cardinal News
Two candidates will be vying for the Republican nomination early next month in the newly created 53rd District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Redrawn in 2021, the district encompasses all of Amherst County, a large chunk of Nelson County, and the northern half of Bedford County — one of the strongest House districts for Republicans, according to analyses from the Virginia Public Access Project.
Whoever is selected at the May 6 Republican convention at Jefferson Forest High School will be running against Sam Soghor, an Amherst County Democrat who ran an unsuccessful 2021 bid against Ronnie Campbell. For either Tim Griffin or Sarah Mays, winning the seat would be their first stint as a politician.
At U.Va., an Alumnus Attacked Diversity Programs. Now He Is on the Board. - NYT
Bert Ellis, with two degrees from the University of Virginia, is a loyal alumnus. He has donated more than $10 million to his alma mater, and even co-owns a campus hangout, the Spot.
But he thinks the university is headed in the wrong direction. He objects to its emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion programs — saying the university is already diverse. And he loathes the university’s recent portrayal of its founder, and his hero, Thomas Jefferson.
Mr. Ellis co-founded a dissident alumni group, the Jefferson Council. And when Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, was elected governor of Virginia in 2021, largely on a
